Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-12-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDING OF THE MoSrTol
Kaslinaton Dec. 9TH

volumnious and one that will be rad
with great interest. 1t represents
much earnest thought and hard wOf.
for the secretary devoted a while
months time to the great task bef@e
him. The report is in the secretaT's
own handwriting. This document
will not be submitted TO congress IN
til the second day after the meeting
of that body. Among the important
recommendation is the suggestion
that congress provide, for the erection
of a fire proof hall of records for the
better presentation of valuable gov
eminent records that at present are
in too much danger of destruction.
Many of the presidents friends are
again concerned about his health, on
account of his disinclinatlon to taEe
outdoor exercise. In this respect, NJ.
Cleveland differs greatly from most
of his predecessors for an early jaurt
on foot was almost an invariable Gus
tom with Mr.. Arthur, General Grant
and other presidents.
During the month of November
there was a considerable increase IL
the national debt, chiefly because OF
the vast sums paid out for pensions
the amount being eighteen million
dollars on that account. For the De-
Rod in question, the receipts of the
government were over a million dor
lars a day.
The report of the postmaster gen
eral makes very favorable showing,
from which it appears that there has
been a gain of 81 ,480, 900 in receipts,
as compared with the previous year,
while on the other hand, the increase
in expense is but little more than two
million dollars. The deficiency, which,
two wears ago was 500, 900, has beer
reduced about three-fourths, and it is
estimated thai it will almost entirely
disappear before the close of the cur
rent year, if the present promising
condition of the affairs of the depart
ment continues. In the matter of
| changing officers, this report shows
that of the 1887 presidential post
masters, who were in place March 1 g,
| 1885. but $40 remain-1 ,8O7 new
men having been appointed. Another
| feature of postal business that will
doubtless interest many of your read
ers.is the official record of the amount
of money lost in dead letters, which,
for the past year footed up S29 ,687
| of this amount the sum of S22 ,637
was restored to the owners; the
amount of Sc, 772, which could not be
returned to the owners, was deposit
ed in the treasury, together with 81 ;
921, the sum realized from auction
sales of unclaimed parcels of mel
chandise found in the mails.
The report of the controller eff the
currency is one that will be read, es-
pecially by business men, with more
than ordinary interest, as an import
ant addition is made in the practical
suggestion of a new code of bank
laws, a copy of which has been sent
with an explanatory letter, to eacf
MEMBER Of congress. Up to the SIS
of October the total -4nrnhe- vi ha-
tional banks organized was $500
of which III have failed, 625 have
gone into voluntary liquidation. leav-
ing 1901 banks still organized al
that date.
In the fftieth congress, political
parties will be more evenly balanced
than for many years, the republican
majority having dwindltd to almost
nothing in the senate, and the demo
cratic majority having been reduced
to about a dozen in the House. There
are three contested election cases in
the senate, and eight in the house.
The republicans have been felici-
tatlng themselves that they would be
able to control the presidential cleo
ton, in the event that there should
be no popular choice, as that party
claims majority of the states by
congressional delegations but this is
by no means an accomplished fact,
as the democrats, in settling the con-
tested election cases from California
and Indiana, have it in their power
to trasfer the majority of the state
congressional delegations to that Or
ganization.
Since their arrival at the capital
over one hundred congressman have
been interviewed, and the drift of
sentiment is largely in favor of tariff
reform.
The democratic congressional eau
Gus developed much excitement and
bitter feeling over the heated con-
test for the doorkeepership, and there
was an occurrence that suggested a
slight resemblance to the proverbiaI
Denny brook fair. The lie was passed
between the gentleman from Arkansas
and the gentleman from Georgia, and
these members then came to blows,
and blood vas drawn before the bel
igerent legislators should be separat-
ed by their friends.
President pro tenn of the senate,
John James Ingalls,, may now be
numbered with the literary statesmen
like Blaine and Cox, as he will give
to the world a novel that will illus
trate his experience of public life.